My girls jumped out of bed early this morning. By early, I mean really early. Early enough that Emmy thought it was still nighttime. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, Daddy!” she called out to Ed as he left for work.

“No, you’ll see him tonight,” I corrected her.

“But it’s still nighttime! It’s not tomorrow yet!” she corrected me.

Well.

As they ran to the window to wave goodbye to Ed, they said, “Did it snow yet?”

Our winter this year has been strangely devoid of that fluffy white plaything. The girls are eager to use their just-the-right-size red snow shovels. They want to put on their stiff pink snow pants, purchased back in October when I was anticipating winter. They want to be pulled around the yard in their bright green sled. They want to plop themselves down on a thick bed of snow and wave their arms and legs to make snow angels.

The one time this winter that they were able to get outside and play in the snow was one short day in December, when we barely had an inch of snow. And that snow didn’t last long. It melted the next day.

I’m trying not to complain. After all, last winter we were heartily sick of the white stuff. We had snow on the ground all winter long. In February, we had more snow than I have seen since my childhood in Central Illinois. As much as I love snow, last winter was overdoing it a bit much. But boy, we did have fun!

This whole week we have been playing outside and reveling in the warm, 50 degree weather, knowing winter will soon come to Chicago. In fact, it’s supposed to come today. The temperatures are supposed to drop drastically, and the weatherman tells us to expect 4-6 inches of snow. Emmy tells me she has a new boy in her class, who used to live in warm place and has never seen snow. She is excited for him to see snow for the first time!

So come on snow, snow!

We’re ready.